Locking device



oct. 11, 1960 FIG.

K. R. M. KARLSTROM LOCKING DEVICE l Fild June 4. 1958 United Stes Patent l2,955,688 Y LQCKIN G DEVICE Karl R. M. Karlstrom, TottsvillefPa., assignor'to Aetna "LSteel- Products Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corlporation o f New York ,generally improved .inea-ns .for interlocking, a, plurality fof AWallanepubers.

Another object is the provision of lockingmeanszfora plurality-.of members :which dispense. with the. necessity of ,auxiliary `locking parts .suchas .Screws or bolts.

,Another .Oblect of the gpresent. invention,isftheprovision of locking means of generally improvedconstruction and :and especially-,adapted .for .use .in .interlocking a plurality Y.of trained panel l.unitsoia wall or lother structure .such as .door .iambsnwindow .frames .transom panels, etc. v.

y Anothemobjectisthe.pronision of means for-.quickly and easily interconnecting a plurality of Wall members in abnildingwall.

y,. rfnrother object is. :the1provisionnof .means for locking a` plurality of `structure members, =whieh .locking means aredisposed internally of said. structure .members and concealed from view.

Afurther :object is .to ;p rovide,a pair of 1locking strips having interengaging .cooperating ,parts in .fixed relation therewith, respectively, .for securely interlocking sa-id strips, without the .use of .auxiliary locking elements, vfor securing ,wall members to eachother .in `a building wall.

The locking means of the present invention areadaptable for-use in internal wall structuressuchas partitions, as V well as in external wall structures.l Otherstructures, unrelated to wallsl ;or the.,like,.su.ch,as metal frame .furniture units, are .equally ,adaptable vto be interlocked in accordance with the :locking means of the invention.

The abovegand `other.objects-.features,and advantages of the present invention. will .be more fully understood from the ,followingdescriptiom considered ,inrconnection with the accompanying illustrative drawings:

In the drawings:

Fig.r 1 is.an elevation view of part of va wall provided with aplurality yof, `panelassemblies interlocked in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View, on a larger scale, on the line 2 2 of Eig l.;

Fig. 3 is a seetional view, Qnlargerscale, on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

yIFig. 4iis asectional view,.on.a .largerscale, on theline 4.-.-4 of Fig.' 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective-viewofa .pair of locking strips according to the invention;` A

r Fig 6 is Va'sectional View Aon -line' 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown part of a wall 10 in which there are provided a plurality of panel assemblies 12, 14, 16 and 18 interlocked with each other by the locking means of the present invention. As here shown, panel assembly or wall member 12 comprises a metal door frame or jarnb for a door 20; panel assembly Vice |14 4comprises 'a transom, and panel assemblies l16 iauiij may comprise, .for example, additional windows.

lPanel assembly 12 .comprises a pair of opposites/er- `ticalfframesections 22-22interconnected at their upper ends byihorizont-alrframe section24. :Each ,ofisaid-frarne :Sectionsis'of similareonst-ruetion and comprisesfasthest shown in Figure V2 oppositev side walls 26.26 terminating `at the outerends `fin yinturned flanges `.2S-2.8, and joinedat theinnerends by inner .wall 30, the latter ha-v- -ing a4 laterally offset intermediatelportirni: 32 ,which .serves vas.asdoorstop fordoor 20. Asshown Y,in Figure .-3, horizontal frame section 24-isrsimilarly ,provided with eppoi- .,site .side walls 726a-426th inturnedfflanges 28a-f28and innerrwall 30a provided with-portion 62a.

`.Eaclrof,panelassemblies 1 4, .16. andl comprises oppo .site vert-ical':and-horizontal `frame .seetionspf construe; -tion `identical-to frame;v sections22 and S24 of; panel .assembly-.12, exceptior .theulongitudinal extentthermf which is obviouslyfgoverned by the size of the'respective panels. As fshownginlig.. 3 lower. horizontal frame section 34,ef .panel v14 .comprises sidewalls v26b-.2 6b, inturned ilanges 28h-2812, and` inneryvall 30h provided withportion .32-bwhich acts asastopfor glasspanell. Also .as seenin Fig. 4, vertical frame s'ection36 of panel 14 comprises sidewalls 26e-260, `inturned-,iianges 2801-280, -`inner wall,.30c, and vertical fframesection V38 of panel' 16 A comprises sidewalls; 26th-26d, inturned flanges ,28d- .28d, ,and inner wall 30d.

Referring now to Figure 5, there Ais.showna.pairof :locking members..40 ,.-40 ,for interconnecting thenwall panels or frame units to each other. Eachofthe locking members-40, .40 compris-es .a longitudinally extending metal strip .provided-with equally spaced .break-olf in.- dentationsf42, 42', sothatthe strips `40, 40 Ymay bebroken off to .the desired length. vEach of .strips 40,-.40is ,prof .vided with'a struckiout tongue 44, 44 v'between each pair of adjacent indentations whereby to ,define in each .of said strips ,aplura-lity of .aligned equally spacedinelined tongues .44, X 44 associated respectively,` with complementary aligned equally spaced slots 46,46. Eachoftongues 44, L44 .comprises a main portion 45, .45 inclinedjrom the plane ofthe associated stripk an equalramount, .and an outer portion 47, 47 `inclined from. the-associated main portion 4'5, .45', respectively. .Asshown in FgllI-e 5, each ofv end edges.48,`.4.8 of strips. 40, .40" Awhi ;h,.. :on fronts thevfree endof the adjacent tongue .44, .44',.respectively, is `.provided with a pair offhacksaw cuts 50759, Sly-.50', .respectively,.fdeiining `portions .52.-152' `therebetween the purpose of which -will -be hereinafter made clear. The tongues 44 and 44 .as shown arerasymmetr'ically .disposed between side edges .S8-60 and 58,f60' of strips 40 and 40', respectively, tongue 44 being nearer. side edgefSS than side edge 60 .and tongue 44 being nearer side edge 60' than side edge 58', thepurposemfor said asymmetrical arrangement to be hereinafter set forth.

.In order to interlock two panels they are'dispesed with their inturned iianges .28 'in abutting relation. As shown 'in Figure 3, which `illustrates the method of inter-4 connecting panels .12 and i4,V frame ,sectionj34 is dis-V posed on top of frame section 24 .so ,thatfinturnedfanges ZSb-Zb yare in abutment with corresponding 'inturned anges 28a-28a, respectively. O ne of the'strips ,of the pair 40 40 is inserted into each of the frames which are to .be assembled. Asseen in Figure 3,'strip 40 is inserted into frame Section24l in an [inclined position as shown by the dashed lines, and then -moved to 'the position shown by the full lines so that the tongues 44 protrude through the space between inturned anges 23a- 28a and the side portions of strip 40` are in abutment with the inner surfaces of said anges. Strip 40 is similarly inserted in frame section 34, with tongues 44 thereof opposed to tongues 44 of strip 40. Strips 40 and 40 `are moved toward each other lengthwise thereof so that the tongues of each strip are fed into the slots of the opposing strip, in abutment with the tongues of said opposing strip, outer portions 47, 47 ,facilitating said feeding. The ends of the strips are rapped with a hammer and the' binding angleof the tongue creates `anclamping action on the back surfaces of the respective strips, therebyl securely interlocking frame sections 24 and 34. Portions 52 4and 52 are now Ybent between the respective` vhack-saw cuts 50-50 and 50'-50', toward the opposing strip, to thereby provide end locks and prevent relative longitudinal motion between the interlocked strips, as best shown in Figure 6. The width of the respective strips 40, 40 is greater than the distance between the inturned ang of the associated frame section, and due to the asymmetrical disposition of the tongues 44 and 44 in the respective strips 40 and 40', lthe overall width of the interlocked strips is greater than the width of each strip, and almost equal to the spacing between the sidewalls 26a- 26a or 2Gb-26h of the respective frame sections whereby to prevent lateral or twisting movement of said interlocked strips within said frame sections. A

It will be understood that after the adjacent frame parts are secured to each other by the companion locking strips 40, 40', the glass or other panels 15 are inserted in the frames and held in position by metal retaining strips 68 fastened to the frame members by screws or in any other suitable way. Y

Referring to Figures 4 and 6, there is shown the interconnection and interlocking of panel unit 16 to panels ,12 and 14 by means of locking strips 62 and 64 which are similar to locking strips 40 and 40', respectively, inV all respects except the longitudinal extents thereof -which are governed by the size of the respective panels. It is noted however that due to the relative heights of panels 14 and 16, locking strip 62 is in abutment with the inner surfaces of -the inturned flanges 28d of panel 16 only, while locking strip 64 extends below panel 14 and is in abutment with the inner anges 28o of panel 14 as well as with inner flanges 28 of panel 12, slots 66 being provided in inturned anges 28b to allow passage therethrough of locking strip 64. It will be apparent that additional panels might be provided below panel 16 and be interlocked with panels 12 and 14 by merely providing locking strips of greater length.

Panel 18 is connected to panels 12 and 14 in exactly the same manner as described above in connection with the interlocking of panel 16 to panels 12 and 14.

Thus it is seen that the locking means of the present invention are well suited for interconnecting any number of structures whether they be disposed above one another, or in side by side relation. It is further seen that the locking means of the invention comprises only a pair of strips of simple construction and design, and that the interlocking thereof does not require the utilization of any additional locking elements. The locking strips are disposed internally of the frame sections and are thus concealed from view.

While the present invention has been described in connection with structures of the type that are provided in walls, it will be apparent that the locking means of the present invention are equally adaptable for use in connecting yand interlocking structures of any type which are provided with peripheral frame sections having spaced outer parts so that one locking strip may be disposed in abutting relation with the inner surfaces of the outer parts of one of said panels and the tongues of said locking strip protrude between said spaced parts for engaging the slots of a complementary locking strip similarly disposed with respect to one or more of others of said panel units.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a structure of the type described, a pair of adjacent frame members disposed in abutting edge to edge relation, each of` said frame members having a pair of flanges extending toward the adjacent member and terminatng at their ends in coplanar Iinturned portions, the outer surfaces of said inturned portions of one frame member being in abutment with the outer surfaces of the inturned portions of the adjacent frame member, and means disposed inwardly of said inturned portions in abutting relation with the inner surfaces of said inturned portions connecting adjacent frame members together, 'said connecting means comprising a pair of separate members, each of said separate members having integral locking means engaging the locking means of the other separate member, thereby engaging said separate members together and connecting said adjacent frame members together.

2. In a structure as defined in claim 1, in which said locking means comprises interlocking elements engaging each other in overlapping relation to clamp said sepa-- rate members together.

3. In a structure as defined in claim 1, in which said locking means comprises struck-out tongues and resulting openings formed in each of said separate members, said struck-out tongues of each of said members being interlocked with said resulting openings of the other of said members.

4. In a structure as defined in claim l, in which each of said separate members is provided with second locking means engaging the other of said separate members to prevent longitudinal movement of said separate members relative to each other.

5. In a structure as defined in claim l, in which one of said separate members is provided at one end thereof with a projecting portion engaging the corresponding end of the other of said separate members to prevent longitudinal movement of said separate members relative to each other.

6. In a structure `as defined in claim l, in which each of said separate members comprises an elongated strip, each of said strips having the same width and said locking means being unequally spaced from the respective side edges of the associated strip, whereby `the over-all width of the interlocked strips is substantially equal to the space between the anges of a frame member and is greater than the width of the individual strips.

7. In a structure as defined in claim 3, in which each of said separate members is an elongated strip and is provided with transversely extending break-off indentations between adjacent tongues, whereby said strips may be broken off to the desired length.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,103,407 Dean Dec. 28, 1937 2,277,758 Hawkins Mar. 31, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 260,500 Switzerland July 16, 1949 

